CVE-2019-8220 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions, 2019.012.20040 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, 2017.011.30148 and earlier, 2015.006.30503 and earlier, and 2015.006.30503 and earlier have an use after free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8220 represents a critical use after free flaw affecting multiple versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications. This security weakness manifests in the software's handling of memory management during document processing operations, creating a scenario where freed memory blocks are still accessed by subsequent code execution paths. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions released prior to 2019.012.20040, 2017.011.30148, and 2015.006.30503, indicating a widespread exposure across several major release cycles. The flaw resides in the application's object management system where memory allocated for certain document elements is released prematurely while the application continues to reference those memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software implementations. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with a potential pathway for arbitrary code execution, allowing malicious actors to bypass standard security controls and gain unauthorized access to affected systems.
The exploitation of this use after free vulnerability typically occurs when a specially crafted PDF document is opened within the vulnerable Adobe applications. The malicious document contains crafted objects that trigger the memory management flaw during normal document processing, causing the application to execute code from freed memory blocks. This particular vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands within the context of the affected application. The memory corruption resulting from the use after free condition can be leveraged to overwrite critical program execution pointers or inject malicious code into the application's memory space. Attackers may utilize this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware payloads. The vulnerability's widespread presence across multiple Adobe Reader versions creates a significant attack surface, as organizations with legacy systems or delayed patch management processes remain particularly vulnerable to exploitation attempts.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment to address this vulnerability, as Adobe has released security updates for all affected versions. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing comprehensive patch management processes that ensure all Adobe Reader installations are updated to versions 2019.012.20040 or later, 2017.011.30148 or later, and 2015.006.30503 or later. Network security controls such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms should be deployed to provide additional defense in depth layers. System administrators should also implement user education programs to reduce the risk of opening suspicious PDF documents, as social engineering remains a common delivery method for exploits targeting this vulnerability. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual application behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around memory allocation and deallocation events. The vulnerability's classification as a use after free flaw makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation through controlled memory manipulation techniques, emphasizing the importance of proper memory management practices in software development and the necessity of regular security assessments to identify similar weaknesses in application code.